You Can't Always Get What You Want
by lilyleia78
Summary: SPD. Jack/Sky. Jack pisses Sky off, except how he doesn't at all. A five-things story.


You Can't Always Get What You Want

Five things Jack does that piss Sky off, and one he doesn't

_Jack is a distraction_.

Sky had been waiting for Jack to make his move since the moment the rest of the team had entered the room. But that had been five minutes ago, and Jack was still sitting on the other side of the room, having what appeared to be a very animated conversation with Bridge and Syd.

It was making Sky slightly crazy.

Jack always - always- made a beeline for Sky whenever Sky was trying to read. Something about Sky's attention being on something other than Jack didn't seem to sit well with Sky's teammate. Sky tightened his grip on the book in anticipation. Any minute now, Jack would come over and rip the book out of his hands. He would toss it over his shoulder (leaving it wherever it landed, no matter what damage it might obtain there) and settle himself on Sky's lap until Sky forgot utterly why he'd ever tried to focus on anything other than Jack in the first place.

But Jack was still sitting serenely on the opposite side of the room, looking for all the world as if he didn't even know Sky existed. Jerk. Well, if Jack was going to ignore him, Sky was going to take full advantage and get some reading done.

Five minutes later Sky huffed in annoyance and tossed the book down onto the couch next to him, concentration completely blown.

Jack appeared in front of him as if summoned by the sound of the book hitting the couch cushions. "Done?" he asked hopefully.

Sky glared at him briefly, but he didn't see the point in pretending he would be getting anymore reading done with Jack there anyway so, "I guess so."

"Good," Jack said, draping himself across Sky's lap with a satisfied grin.

Sky hid his own smile behind a put-upon sigh and wrapped his arms around Jack.

_But sometimes Sky wants distracting._

_iJack takes Sky's stuff without asking._

It started out so small that Sky didn't even notice it was happening at first. A blue shirt and socks that didn't make it back from the laundry, a few less pairs of boxers in his drawer than he expected, and a couple of his books that got borrowed but never returned. There were other small things getting misplaced or disappearing mysteriously, but nothing alerted Sky that it might be deliberate. Until his desk organizer went missing.

Swiping underwear was one thing, but making off with someone's organizer? That was going too far.

"Bridge, have you seen the desktop organizer my mother gave me last Christmas?"

"Yes," Bridge answered briefly before turning back to…well, Sky had no idea what he was tinkering with – if it wasn't sparking or making loud noises, Sky tried to ignore Bridge's projects.

"Well? Where did you see it?" Sky asked.

"Oh," Bridge said, as if surprised that Sky wanted more details. "It was in Jack's duffel. He came in here while you were at the gym and packed some of your stuff and left again."

"What? Why didn't you…" Sky sighed, turning around to head out the door. "Never mind. I'll deal with this myself."

"Jack," Sky was growling before he was even fully in the door. "Where the heck is my stuff? Regulation 3…" Sky trailed off as he caught sight first of Jack's sheepish smile and then the very familiar blue organizer on top of his desk.

"Surprise," Jack said softly as Sky turned a circle, taking in the way his possessions had been carefully slotted in next to Jack's – a blue cup sitting next to Jack's red water pitcher, three blue shirts hung neatly in Jack's closet, a handful of Sky's books sandwiched (alphabetically) in with Jack's on the bookshelf. Sky imagined if he opened the drawers he'd find his missing socks and boxers as well.

"What?" he asked stupidly.

"I thought this would be more convenient in mornings?" Jack's explanation was more question than answer. "Or at night. Or both," he added hopefully.

Sky stared at him, uncertain how to respond, uncertain if Jack was really saying what it sounded like Jack was saying.

His silence must have been making Jack nervous because he offered, "I cleaned up. I can work on that." Jack paused and peered up at Sky's expression again. "Or I can pack it all back up and return it. Whatever," Jack's tone missed nonchalance by a mile.

"Jack," Sky said helplessly before closing the distance between them and answering what Jack hadn't asked with a kiss.

_But he gives back more than he takes_.

_Jack calls it being friendly: Sky calls it being a slut._

Luckily for Sky, when Jack flirted he had a tendency to lay it on a little thick, scaring off people who might other wise be attracted to Jack's natural charm and charisma.

Usually. Of course, some bimbos seemed to like Jack's over-the-top smile and leering innuendo. Like the tall, leggy blond over by food cart who was hanging off of Jack's every word while Sky was doing all the real work.

"Jack," Sky called, not even bothering to hide the disgust in his voice. "We've got what we need. I'm heading back."

Jack held up a finger in the universal sign for 'one minute', finished his conversation and jogged over to the bikes where Sky waited. "What's the matter? Didn't learn anything interesting?"

Sky huffed. "I got two eyewitnesses and a lead, but I'm sure that's not nearly as interesting as her…" Sky thrust his chin in the direction of the woman who was still watching Jack's back with a smile. "…bra size and phone number."

"Aw, baby," Jack said, his smile huge and happy on his stupid face, "I was just having a little fun. No need to be jealous: I always save the last dance for you."

"Yeah, right," Sky answered wearily, more to himself than to Jack.

"Right," Jack agreed, still grinning. He swept Sky into his arms, no easy feat for a man several inches shorter than Sky himself, and began to sway to a beat that only he could hear. And before Sky could protest, they were dancing in the middle of the street with the eyes of the whole city, and one out-of-luck leggy blond in particular, on them.

Sky relaxed into Jack's embrace and remembered why he always decided to stay.

_But he never forgets where he belongs._

_Jack thinks arguing is foreplay._

Sky threw his arm up in disgust, instinctively throwing a shield up against Jack's smirking approach. Jack could have phased through easily enough, but something in Sky's face must have warned him off.

"Sky? Don't be mad, it's…" Jack said, uncertainty creeping into his voice for the first time since he'd started this argument.

"No, Jack. It's not cute, it's not fun, and one of these days one of us is going to lose more than an argument," Sky warned, fleeing the room before Jack could response. Sky wasn't sure their relationship could survive another of Jack's witty comebacks.

Sky bypassed the common areas and took a service elevator to the base garage where his personal bike was stored. He did a quick inspection of his less-used, but much loved, motorcycle before mounting it and pointing it out of the city.

Deliberately not thinking about anything except the thrum of the engine below him and the calm of the sky above, Sky's tension fell behind him with the city skyline. An hour later, when Newtech City's suburbs finally gave way to countryside, Sky pulled over in an unremarkable stretch of field.

Sky stood up on the bike and stretched the kinks out of his arms and back, looking around at nothing in particular. It was quiet without the familiar sounds of the city, and Sky found himself idly wondering how Jack would like it.

He smiled to himself at the thought of city-boy Jack trying to adjust to the peace and quiet, and decided it was time to go home and make up. An hour of pouting and brooding was more than enough, even for him.

Jack was waiting for him in Sky's room. Sky almost didn't see him, sitting in the dark at the very edge of Sky's bed as if unsure of his welcome. Jack had been hunched over with his head down, but he looked up quickly when the door slid open.

"I'm sorry," Jack said quietly. The words were sincere, Sky didn't doubt that, but it was the look of badly hidden fear in Jack's eyes that made Sky push Jack down on the bed, crawl over him like a blanket, and kiss forgiveness into unresisting lips.

_But he's never too proud to make it right._

_Jack makes Sky want things he shouldn't want._

Sky's fingers rubbed gently against his temples, trying futilely to push away the headache that had taken up residence behind his eyes. It was only ten o'clock in the morning and he was already more than ready for the day to be over.

His first time running SPD solo while Doggy was off-planet hadn't been a complete disaster, but Sky had been unprepared for how _much_ there was to do. Running a squad, even one as active and trouble-prone as B-squad, was nothing like running a base. _Jack had made it look so easy_, Sky thought ruefully to himself.

More than anything Sky wanted to go home, crawl back into bed (preferably with Jack still in it) and sleep until the whole morning - the whole Cruger-less week - was nothing more than a very bad memory.

"Hey, Sky."

Sky looked up in surprise from the reports he'd been reviewing to find Jack standing in the doorway of the command center, eyes soft in a way only Sky ever got to see. "Jack," Sky said in greeting, looking around the otherwise empty room. "You know this area's restricted. No civilians allowed."

Jack smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling in that way that never ceased to make Sky's heart stutter in his chest. "I know, but the Red Ranger's sweet on me, so they let me in anyway."

Sky couldn't help but smile back as Jack moved into the room to stand in front of him. "Blatant abuse of power."

"Yeah," Jack agreed. He leaned down for a short warm press of lips. "A little birdie told me that you needed that," he said when he straightened back up.

Sky caught Jack's collar and pulled him back down for a slower, wetter kiss. "Smart bird."

"Hmmm," Jack hummed, ghosting kisses across Sky's face, tracing a path down the line of Sky's jaw. Sky ducked his chin back down to reclaim Jack's lips.

Jack met him eagerly and rubbed the back of Sky's neck with both hands. Sky allowed himself a moment to enjoy the sensation before pushing Jack gently back. "Was there something you wanted or did you just come by to seduce you?"

Jack stole one last kiss before retreating. "I never overlook an opportunity to seduce you," he promised, "But in this case I came by to remind you that DC will be back in two hours. In two and half hours I'll be in our bed waiting for some company."

And just like that, Sky's whole day looked a lot brighter.

_But he delivers what Sky needs._

Jack doesn't let Sky push him away.

But Sky finds that it doesn't piss him off at all.


End file.
